The news of his safety was relayed along the road at eight-hundred-li urgent speed through the postal relay stations. Six days and nights later, it reached the borders of Changsha.
By this day, more than a month had passed since Xi’er had gone north. Zhao Xitai had long since returned to Jianghuai, leaving his envoy behind to wait for Mu Fulan’s decision.
Another sleepless night passed. The following day, Mu Fulan summoned the envoy to the deliberation hall of the palace, gave him a letter, and sent him on his way with word to deliver it to Zhao Xitai.
After the envoy had departed, she proceeded to summon Lu Lin and the other officials of Changsha, and overturned their previously proposed suggestion that she select an heir apparent from the Mu clan.
She said, “Among the clan’s men, I currently see none who is capable of bearing such a great burden. Nor have I ever heard of any person among Changsha’s people who lies awake in daily anguish over the vacancy in the succession, unable to carry on.”
“My royal elder brother, on his deathbed, spoke with his own lips and entrusted Changsha’s many thousands of people to my care — you all heard it with your own ears. I have served as regent for several years, and though I cannot claim great achievements, I have also committed no serious faults. You are all long-serving officials of Changsha, and your contributions are not to be overlooked. But on this matter, whatever your considerations may be, I ask that you put a stop to it and never raise it again. These are extraordinary times, and I will continue in this regency. As for what comes after, I have my own reckoning.”
Her words were direct and unambiguous, her manner leaving not the slightest room for negotiation.
Over these past years, her authority had grown increasingly firm. Among the common people, she had long since been regarded as the effective ruler of Changsha. How could Lu Lin and the others not know this? Seeing her reply in this way, they assented with murmurs and withdrew.
Mu Fulan kept Yuan Handing behind and said to him, “Chancellor Lu suspects I wish to declare myself ruler. My sister-in-law is also gone now, and they may fear they will be sidelined in the future — so they spoke up to test the ground, hoping to install a member of the Mu clan who would be closer to their interests. I have no desire to become the female ruler of Changsha. My reason for not establishing a new Mu king is this: given the current situation, I do not wish to draw yet another person into the fray. And Xi’er must not be drawn in.”
“Elder Brother Yuan, Chancellor Lu and the others are hoping for an alliance with the Eastern Court. They are imagining that as long as the alliance holds and the two sides combine their strength, they might be able to hold Xie Changgeng at bay and keep Changsha standing. You, too, urged me toward an alliance. What is your honest view of it?”
Yuan Handing hesitated in silence.
Mu Fulan continued, “I can in fact guess what is in your mind, Elder Brother Yuan. No one understands the current three-way balance of power better than you. The hope of the Eastern Court defeating Xie Changgeng is vanishingly small. The various royal and feudal lords that Prince Qi gathered together in the first place did so out of shared interest. If they see no prospect of gain, their hearts cannot possibly be united. No matter how capable Zhao Xitai may be, he cannot remedy the fatal weakness that the Eastern Court was born with. The earlier defection of the King of Zhao from the Eastern Court is proof of this. A court built upon shifting sand cannot go far.”
“Our own military is cohesive and unified, yet we, too, have our innate weakness. Changsha’s territory and population are both limited, and the military strength we can sustain is limited as well. To expand the army without bound, we would need to go on the offensive — to seize more territory, more people, more wealth and resources.”
She gave a faint smile. “The kings of the Mu clan across the generations earned a fine name for benevolence and righteousness, and that reputation has passed to my hands — and now it is precisely that reputation which binds us. Since we have never been the kind to plunder and annex others, our national strength is inevitably limited. That we have held the situation as it stands today is already the result of your fullest efforts, Elder Brother Yuan, and mine as well. We must acknowledge the truth of it: Xie Changgeng’s strength far surpasses ours. You knew that even with two forces combined it would be difficult to turn the tide, and yet you still urged me toward an alliance. You were afraid that once Xie Changgeng becomes emperor someday, he will absolutely not tolerate this nation within his belly — Changsha — no matter how much we concede. You feared that when that day came, I would face the destruction of the state and its people’s humiliation. That is why you wanted to make one final all-out effort. Am I right?”
Yuan Handing was visibly moved. “It is I who am without ability, and have failed the Princess Regent’s expectations.”
Mu Fulan shook her head.
“Elder Brother, I have already said — we have both given our fullest efforts, and there is no need for self-reproach. Even though we lack the strength to contend for supremacy, we have not fallen to this day. We still command an army capable of putting up a fight. In my eyes, that is already a very good position. As for what comes after — I have also thought it through…”
She was silent for a moment.
“Since ancient times, no ruler has held the realm forever, and Changsha is no different. Should we truly reach that final step, with the tide of history bearing down upon us, all we can do is move with it accordingly. Seek peace through war — negotiate with him. We complete his unification of the realm, and he will have no reason to refuse. The tens of thousands of people of Changsha have sustained the Mu clan for two hundred years. Sparing them from endless and unrelenting war is also a small repayment the Mu clan owes to them.”
Yuan Handing looked steadily at her, then slowly knelt before her.
“The three Miao regions have been borderland since ancient times — it would cost more than it is worth for the court to force an attack there, and the calculation would have to be carefully weighed. Yuan Handing is willing to escort the Princess Regent in retreat to the three Miao regions, to live out her days in peace and security!”
Mu Fulan smiled warmly and lifted him up from the ground.
“Elder Brother, at least for now, we need not worry overmuch. Xie Changgeng will not move against us. You should also know how I replied to Zhao Xitai in my letter. I am a little uneasy about the situation over there. They had placed great hopes on this alliance. Now that I have kept them waiting for so long without a reply, a man as shrewd as Zhao Xitai would not find it difficult to guess my decision. Xi’er has not yet returned — as a precaution, I would like to trouble you to go out yourself and bring him back.”
Yuan Handing agreed at once and set out that very day, fully equipped.
…
Outside the Huguo Temple, Liang Tuan and the others had been waiting at the mountain gate since the night before. They had watched a man go in, an entire night had passed, and still there was no sign of him coming out. Beginning to feel uneasy, they were just about to go up and inquire when they spotted a fast rider coming from the direction of the capital, bringing news.
Liang Tuan told the others to wait, then immediately went up himself. He stated his business, was led by a monk to the pagoda grove at the rear of the mountain, and brought to the entrance of that square courtyard.
Liang Tuan walked inside. All around was empty, without a single person or sound.
The sun shone overhead, yet he felt a thread of bleak and desolate stillness.
The capital had been brought fully under control. Empress Dowager Liu and her faction had been put down. The emperor, whose mind was somewhat enfeebled, had been placed under house arrest. The remaining court officials had begun submitting petitions today one after another, falling over each other to declare their loyalty to the new master.
He truly did not understand — at such a momentous occasion worthy of celebration, why had the Prince of Qin come in the dead of night to pay a call on an old monk?
And having come, it was all well and good, but to have an entire night pass and still not come out…
He walked to the door and stopped. He called out once, waited a long while and heard no reply. He hesitated, then said, “Prince of Qin, a message has just arrived. The guard captain who was previously ordered to escort the young lord south has sent word — the young lord, fearing there might be an ambush on the road ahead, has halted at the midpoint. He is currently in the postal relay station at Pucheng.”
He finished speaking. After a moment, he heard from within the sound of slow, heavy footsteps.
The door opened slowly. He saw a figure appear behind it.
Xie Changgeng stood there, one hand resting on the door frame. His eyes were dark and hollow.
At the first glance, the person before him gave Liang Tuan the sudden and strange impression that he had lost all his strength — that even the simplest act of standing was a thing of great difficulty for him.
In the span of a single night, he seemed to have aged by at least ten years.
Liang Tuan was taken aback. He stepped forward quickly and reached out a hand to support him — but was avoided.
“What did you just say?” he asked, his voice hoarse.
Liang Tuan hurriedly repeated himself. “Prince of Qin, please do not worry — the young lord is unharmed! The guard captain sent word only to inform the Prince of Qin of the progress on the road. He said he will certainly protect the young lord and see him safely home to Changsha. If the Prince of Qin is not at ease, I can take more men and go together to escort him!”
Xie Changgeng stood motionless.
“Where is he?” he asked.
“Pucheng.”
“Pucheng…”
He murmured the name of that city to himself. His face twisted, and in his eyes appeared a very strange expression.
“I’ll go myself.”
He stood still for a moment, then murmured those words in a low voice.
Under Liang Tuan’s astonished gaze, he released his hand from the door frame, slowly straightened what had appeared a slightly stooped posture, squared his shoulders, then stepped over the threshold and strode away.
…
Once again it was evening. A slanting ray of sunlight fell upon the city walls of Pucheng.
This city, which had once been besieged by the rebel forces of the Prince of Pingyang years ago, had long since returned to peace. Only when the setting sun spread its blood-red light over the battlements could one still vaguely recall something of the brutal scenes of those days.
Xie Changgeng rode to this place.
He paused for a moment outside the city gate, looked up at the evenly spaced merlons along the top of the wall for a long while, closed his eyes, then continued riding inside.
When the Pucheng prefect, who had heard the news and rushed over, led him to the postal relay station, the young boy was alone in the stable at the rear of the station. He had just finished feeding Xiaolong Ma and was using a comb to groom the horse’s mane with his own hands.
The relay station master brought Xie Changgeng to the stable entrance, where they stopped to look at the person and horse inside.
The boy’s gaze on Xiaolong Ma was full of tenderness and care. He was so absorbed in what he was doing that when someone entered the stable behind him, he seemed completely unaware.
“The young lord has been here for a few days. He treats this horse remarkably well — feeds it and grooms it himself every day.”
The relay station master said this with a smile, speaking quietly to Xie Changgeng.
It was the decree of unseen fate — he and her son, their Xi’er, would stop his footsteps in this city that held memories too painful to revisit.
Xie Changgeng looked at that figure ahead of him, and the corners of his eyes slowly grew red.
That man from before — the one who had spent his life controlled by power and desire — if he had not been struck down by his own actions before he could die, would he truly have felt even a shred of genuine remorse toward his first wife, even in his dying moments?
He told the relay station master to withdraw. He was about to step forward toward the young boy, but when he lifted his foot, it was as though something of a thousand-pound weight pressed upon the sole — he could not move.
The young boy seemed to sense something. He turned his head, saw him standing at the stable entrance, and called out “Lord Xie.” He turned and ran toward him.
Xie Changgeng at last walked toward him too, faster and faster, until he stood before the young boy and stopped.
“Lord Xie, why would you come here?” He looked up and asked.
Xie Changgeng lowered his head, gazing steadily at the young boy before him without blinking. Then, suddenly, he opened his arms and pulled the boy into his embrace, holding him close.
He held on with such force. The young boy at first seemed not to understand what was happening and struggled slightly for a moment, but very quickly he went still, and let himself be held without moving.
“Lord Xie, what is the matter with you?”
After a moment, Xie Changgeng heard a quiet question from close beside him.
He looked. He looked at those beautiful eyes of the child — eyes so like his mother’s — and could not pull his gaze away.
Before his eyes, it was as though the image arose once more of that young man dressed in white, who had drawn his sword and cut his own throat before him, swearing never again to be his son.
He thought again of that day — this same young boy before him, dusty from a long journey, traveling alone all the way to Changping Pass while keeping it from her, for no other reason than to tell him that he believed in every word he had once said to him, without a single moment of doubt.
What had he, Xie Changgeng, done to deserve such trust — wholehearted and unconditional — in this lifetime?
His eyes burning red, he slowly loosened his arms and let the young boy go.
“I am all right. I only heard that you had stopped here, so I came. I’ll take you home.” He said in a low voice.
The young boy smiled. He said, “Lord Xie, you are truly good to me. I thought that if Mother received my letter and trusted Lord Xie and chose not to ally with the Eastern Court, those people might want to use me as a threat against her. So I simply stayed here — better to avoid trouble.”
He glanced around at the surroundings.
“This place is very good. I like it here,” he said.
Xie Changgeng felt as though a blunt blade were slowly cutting at some place in his heart.
“My mother will certainly send someone to come and get me. There is no need to trouble Lord Xie. I truly hope I can grow up quickly, so I can protect my mother.” The young boy gave a small sigh.
“Oh, Lord Xie — did you go to the Huguo Temple and see the Elder Master?” he suddenly seemed to remember something and asked.
Xie Changgeng gazed at the young boy before him.
“Xi’er, you want to protect your mother. But do you know — what is the best way to protect her?” he suddenly asked.
The young boy said, “Lord Xie, I actually know. She can only protect herself by becoming a king — the most powerful king in this world. But my mother — she is too kind. She does not wish to be king. What she thinks of first, always, is protecting the people of Changsha.”
“Do you want to? To become the most powerful king, and protect her?” Xie Changgeng paused, then asked.
The young boy was silent for a moment. Then he raised his eyes, looked at Xie Changgeng, and said, “I do.”
“Very well. From this day forward, Lord Xie will help you become the most powerful, the one and only, king in this world.”
Xie Changgeng said these words, one word at a time.